Fruit-clipper.



L. A. BOCKSTAHLER.

FRUIT CLIPPER. I APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1916. r I 1,242,645. Patented Oct. 9,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

L. A. BOCKSTAHLERI FRUIT CLIPPER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.29. 1916.

1,242,645. Patented Oct. 9,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. A. BOCKSTAHLER.

mun CLIPPER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1916.

1,242,645. Patented 0%. 9,1917;

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- //v VEN TOR rare LOUIS A. IBOCKSTAHLER, or cLEvnLA vn, onro.

rnurr-onrrrnn.

To all whom itinay concern:

Be it known that I, Lonrs A. BOGKSTAHLER,

citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofOuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Fruit-Clippers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fruit clippers,

- and has for its object to provide. devices with which toxpick fruit such as oranges, grape-fruit, grapes or any other fruit having stemswhich mustbe severed by a cutting tool. Another object of the invention is to form an improved device withwhich, after the fruit is cut from the stalk.

the stems are severed, the fruit is held by means of jaws engaging the stem, and, by a final operation, the stem is then cutoff to drop the fruit in a proper receptacle without coming in contact with the a hands of the operator.

In the accompanying drawings' Figure l is a plan vlew ofthe clippen.

Fig. 2 is anedge view thereof. I a Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3+3 ofFig. 1.

Fig. .4 is a detail in cross section on the line 4-1 of Fig. 1.

. Fig. 5 is a detail in section showing the jaws in position ready for use.

Fig. 6 is a detail in section showing .the pawl arrangement between two of the pivotedparts. 1 a

Fig. 7 is a detail showing the position of V the jaws after the first operation.

Fig. 8 is a detail in section showing the pawl shown in Fig. 6 in engaged position. Fig. 9 is a detail showing the parts at the second operation.

Fig. 10 is a detail of the pawl at theposition shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a view of the jaws in the last operation. 1 1 ,Figs. Band 13 are details of the pawls shown in Figs. 10 and 6, respectively, in different positions. 1

Fig.14l is a plan showing the instrument after the first operation, at which the stem of Fig. 15 is a similar view of a later position, with the cutting blades, open, and the fruit stem held by the jaws.

Fig-16 is a similar v ew of a final posi tion, when the stem is cut oil from the fruit.

Specification of Letters Patent.

17 is a perspective of one of the disks and a blade attached thereto.'-

7 Figs. 18 and 19 are details of modified ratem coct. a, 1917. p Application filed January 29, 1916. Serial No. 75,103. n

jaws, and other parts ashereinafter described, the operationbeing to first close one pair of knives and the jaws to cut the stem from the stalk or vine and grip the stem, second to operatev the other pair of knives to cut the stem from thefruit, and third to restore the parts to original position.

One handle is indicated at 9 and the othe which is fastened ,a jaw 15 carrying, at its opposite sides, knives 15 and 15", the

former of which cooperates with the knife 11 and the latter of which cooperates with a knife 21 carried by a disk 21 mounted on the pivot pin 22 which extends through all the other disks and is, fastened by a nut 24.

On said pin, betweenthe disks 16 and 21, is a disk 18 to which is attached a spring 19 which bears at 8 against the handle 9. -Th1S disk 18 carries a jaw- 17 which cooperates with the jaw15. It will be seen that there are two pairs of knives, one pair, 11 and15, connected respectively to the handles 9 and 9, and the other pair, 15'. and 21 connected respectively to the handle 9' and the disk 21, and a pair of jaws 15 and 17 connectecl respectively to the handle 9? and the disk 18, the intermediate disks 16, 18916. 20, as well as disk 12, turning on the pivot pin 22.

In the disk 16 isa recess 00 containing a pawl 25 pivoted on the pin 26, with aspring 25" pressing onthe pawl and tending toengage the same in a notch 18 in the disk 18. In the disk 20 is arecess 20 containing a pawl 28 pivoted on the'pin 28. and having a spring y which tends to hold the pawl out of the notch z in the outer disk 21, as indicated in Fig. 18. The tail-of the spring projects in position to engage in a recess '0 in the disk 18, and thereby force pawl 28 into notch a, as shown in Figs. 12 and 19, in one position, and to lift said pawl out of the notch a by relative movement of the disk 18, as shown in Figs. 10 and 18. The pivot has a pin 20 which engages in a segmental slot 21 in the disk 21. A spring 27 acts to force the handles apart. A

The operation is as follows: When the handles 9 and 9 are pressed together the knives 11 and 15' sever the stem, the knife 11 being carried :by the handle 9 and the knife 15 by the jaw 15 and handle 9. By the same operation the jaws 1'5 and 17 are brought together, and grasp the stem, the jaw 17 being operated the pressure of the spring 19 which turns the-disk 18 which carries the jaw 17. The spring yields to accommodate the stem. This action. registers the notch 18 in the disk 18 with the pawl 25, which drops into said notch and inter-looks the disks and 18, thereby looking the jaws closed, since the disk 16 is rigid with the handle 9", and the fruit is held by its stem between said jaws. By the same operation the end of the slot 18" is brought against the pin 22" on the pivot 22, as shown in Fig. 14, thereby preventing the disk 21 from turning when the handles are released.

The next operation is torelease the handles which are opened bythe spring 27, and the disk 20, which is carried by the handle 9, is so turned that the pawl 28 carried by said disk engages in the notch e in the disk 21, as shown in Figs. 12 and 19, the jaws remaining closed.

In the next operation, the handles are pressed together again, and the pawl 28, turning with the disk 20, turns the disk 21 which carries the blade 21", and closes said blade against the blade 15" and cuts 05 the stem held by the jaws, allowing the fruit to drop. In this action the lever spring y, the end of which is in the recess 0 as in Fig. 12, is engaged by the edge of the disk 18 at said recess, ready to lift the pawl 28 from the notch a, when the handles are released, as shown in Fig. 18, and also in this operation, the pin 22- swings under the pawl 25, and lifts the same out of thenotch 18, as shown in Fig. 13, whereby the various disks are released from the pawls.

The last operation is to release the handles, which are opened by the spring 27 at which time the pin 20 picks up the disk 21 by engaging the end of the slot 21, and returns the disk 21 to original position, all the parts resuming their original position for the next operation, the disk 18 being re turned, and the jaw 17 opened, by the spring 19 as it follows the handle =9, the disks 12 and 20, and the knife 11, returning with the handle 9, and the disk 16, jaw 15 and knives 15 and 15" returning'with the handle 9.

By the means described, the fruit is first out from the tree or vine, and held by the stem still on the fruit, so that it may be car lied to its proper receptacle, the stem is then out ofiyclose to the fruit and the fruit dropped, and the knives and the jaws are then opened to original position.

lWh-at T claim as new is:

.1. A truit clipper comprising .a pair of pivoted handles, pair 501 blades anda pair of jaws, carried by $31161 handles, andv asseond pairzof blades, lone blade of whichis carried :by one of said. handles, and releasable operating connection between the other blade and the other handle.

2. A frnitgclipper comprising .a pair-oi pivoted. handles, two pairs of pinotedblades, a pair of jaws between said pairs of blades, means actuated by one operation ofxthe han dies to simultaneously close one pair of blades and the jaws, and means :actnated' by a succeeding operation of. the handles to aztterward close the other pair of :blades.

A frnit clipper comprising :a. pair of handles one of which carries .a pair or disks and a blade and the other of which carries a disk, two blades and a. jaw .betweensaid blades, a pivot .for said handles, extending through saidxdisks, a disk inonnte d on said pivot and having a jaw and :a spr'mgconnection to one of said handles, another disk mounted on said pivotand having a blade cooperating with one of said two blades, pawl connections between the disks carried by the handles and the two last mentioned disks, adapted to operate the. latter.

4. A fruit clipper comprising a pair of handles, and a pivot connecting the same, disks 12 and 20 rigid with one of said handles, a blade 11 projecting from the disk 12, a disk 16, jaw 15 and blades 15 and '15 rigid with the other handle, the blade 15 being arranged to cooperate with the blade 11, a disk 18 on the pivot, having a 17 arranged. to cooperate withthe jaw 15, a spring connecting one of the handles and the disk 18, a disk 21 on the pivot, having a blade 21 adapted to cooperate with the blade 15", said jaws: being located between the two pairsof blades, a pawl 25 carried by the disk 16 and adapted to engage and voperate the disk 18, and a pawl 28 carriedby' the disk 20 and adapted toengage and operate the disk 21.

5. A fruit picker comprising a pair of pivoted handles, a pair of blades and a pair of jaws, operatively connected to said handles and adapted to close by initial move which is carried by one of said handles, torelease said pawl and restore the parts to means including a pawl to operatively conoriginal position. 10

neet the other handle to the other of the In testimony whereof, I do aflix my signalast mentioned pair of blades on second ture in presence of two witnesses.

5 movement of the handles, means actuated by V LOUIS A. BOCKSTAHLER.

the said initial movement to engage said Witnesses: pawl preparatory to the second movement, JOHN A. BOMMHARDT, and means actuated by the second movement F. M. TAGGETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

